Boehner may face foes for 2nd term as speaker

Rumors indicate some GOP conservatives could oppose his re-election

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner could face an insurrection from within his own party when he seeks a second term at the chamber's helm this week, if rumors on Capitol Hill pan out.

And one of those opposed might be Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., whose relationship with the speaker of late has been frosty.

Schweikert didn't return a request for comment on how he's leaning.

The House is expected to vote for speaker on Thursday, the first day of the 113th Congress. Boehner was nominated by his party earlier this year and is likely to retain the top post. He received a standing ovation at the time and was backed by his second-in-command, Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

But some conservative groups, and perhaps even House members, have begun circulating the idea of ousting Boehner. Only 17 Republicans would need to defect to block his re-election, triggering repeat votes until enough votes are cast for a speaker candidate to satisfy House rules.

In 1923, the last time the procedure was used, it took nine ballots to select a speaker.

Among the gripes Republican members are nursing against Boehner are his decision to strip several representatives of plum committee assignments and his recent failed stab at a "fiscal cliff" compromise that proposed raising $800 billion in new revenue by hiking taxes on millionaires.

Schweikert was among four members sacked from their committees, losing a spot on the powerful Financial Services Committee. Schweikert called it retribution for not supporting all of Boehner's bills. And Schweikert, a "tea party" freshman who was re-elected in November, joined conservatives in criticizing "Plan B" for selling out the conservative principle of low taxes.